A man set himself on fire Friday afternoon outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse, where former President Donald Trump’s historic courthouse was held. a criminal trial is taking place.
Witnesses say the man doused himself with liquid in Collect Pond Park, a designated protest area across the street from the courthouse, before orange flames soon engulfed him. It was unclear what prompted his action, although he appeared to have pamphlets outlining anti-government conspiracy theories.
The incident occurred just moments after jury selection concluded in Trump’s case, the first criminal trial of a former president in US history.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire. The man, who appeared to be alive, was taken on a stretcher to an ambulance. An NYPD spokesperson said he is in critical condition.
Before setting himself on fire, witnesses say the man threw several colorful leaflets into the air calling for “abolishing our criminal government and replacing it with one that serves everyone.” A person claiming to be the burning man posted on Substack about the incident, referencing former presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush and alleging a global cryptocurrency-based conspiracy.
Videos circulating on social media showed the man lying on the ground in flames as smoke billowed near the Manhattan courthouse, which already had a heavy police presence due to the high-profile nature of the ongoing trial.
Trump, who was present in court throughout the proceedings, faces charges related to a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to prevent her allegations of a sexual encounter with him from becoming public during the 2016 election. .
Opening statements in the trial are expected to begin on Monday.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
